Vehicle door fastening devices



y 18, 1967 K. P. PUGH 3,331,624

VEHICLE DOOR FASTENING DEVICES Filed July 12, 1965 k 650, gmgg m INVENTOE KENNETH P5752 p s/1' ATTQENQf-SM United States Patent 3,331,624 VEHICLE DOOR FASTENING DEVICES Kenneth Peter Pugh, Shirley, Solihull, England, assignor to Wilmot-Breeden Limited, Birmingham, England Filed July 12, 1965, Ser. No. 471,331 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 10, 1964, 28,520/64 13 Claims. (Cl. 292-216) This invention relates to vehicle door fastening devices of the type which provide a so-called anti-burst feature. Such devices employ normally spaced anti-burst surfaces which engage in the event of excessive body distortion during a collision to oppose the tendency for the door to burst open.

Vehicle door fastening devices normally employ guide means to guide the door in a vertical sense during door closure and means which provide vertical restraint when the door is closed to prevent rattle. The object of the invention is to provide a device which provides not only an anti-burst feature but also vertical guiding and restraint in a compact and advantageous manner.

To this end a fastening device in accordance with the invention comprises a latch structure with a cover plate which partially shrouds a latch member and guide means, and a striker structure which comprises a striker element and an anti-burst plate disposed at one side of the striker element, the cover plate being cut away to allow entry of the striker element and the plate which during door closure enters behind the latch member for anti-burst purposes and engages the guide means to provide vertical guiding of the striker element into latching engagement with the latch member, in the latched position the plate engaging the guide means to provide vertical restraint. In the latched position the anti-burst surfaces are provided by the anti-burst plate and the back face of the latch member.

The latch member is preferably of the so-called claw type and the striker element in the form of a striker pin, the latch member having two claws between which the striker pin enters during the latching operation. Detent means which hold the latch member in the latched position and other internal elements of the device are conveniently disposed between the cover plate and a backplate formed for attachment to the door structure. The striker pin may be arranged for mounting directly on the door frame and may be held in position thereon by a fixing screw which passes through the anti-burst plate and the pin; alternatively the plate and striker pin may be mounted on a backplate formed for attachment to the door frame.

Preferably the anti-burst plate is of generally rectangular shape with a suitably radiused end for smooth engagement with the guide means, and it may be mounted on two spaced pins one of which is the striker pin.

The guide means may include a spring-loaded wedge which is engaged by the anti-burst plate and slidable between the cover plate and the backplate of the latch structure, and a wedging surface against which the plate is wedged when the device is latched to provide vertical restraint. Preferably the wedge is disposed below the wedging surface which is then positioned above the antiburst plate and hence behind the latch member.

The invention will now be further described with ref' erence to the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, a door fastening device in accordance with the invention. In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a face view of the device,

FIGURE 2 is a similar view with a cover plate removed to show internal elements of the device,

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view on the line III-III in FIGURE 1, and

3,331,624 Patented July 18, 1967 FIGURE 4 is a detail view relating to internal releasing and locking means of the device.

The device illustrated is of the plant-on type, i.e. it is fitted on the door structure from outside the latter, and has a latch structure with a backplate 1 formed for attachment to the door structure. A dished cover plate 2 is mounted on the backplate 1 and in the space between these parts a rotary claw-type latch member 3 and other internal elements of the device are mounted.

A striker structure comprises a generally rectangular anti-burst plate 4 with radiused corners, and two hollow cylindrical pins 5 and 6. On assembly the major axis of the anti-burst plate 4 is disposed horizontally as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2, spaced from the door frame 7 (shown in FIGURE 3) and held by fixing screws 8 which pass through the pins 5 and 6. The leading pin 5 forms a striker pin which enters into latching engagement with the latch member 3 between two downwardly directed claws 9 and 10 thereof, as shown in FIGURES l and 2. In the two latter figures the striker structure is shown detached from the door frame 7.

One side wall and the face of the cover plate 2 is cut away (as shown in FIGURES l and 3) to allow entry of the anti-burst plate 4 and the two pins 5 and 6 during door closure, the plate 4 entering behind, i.e. on the inner side of, the claws 9 and 10 of the latch member 3. This provides an anti-burst feature as excessive distortion of the body structure, which would otherwise tend to separate the striker pin and latch member in a direction disposed longitudinally of the: vehicle, is opposed by engagement of the anti-burst plate 4 with the back face of the latch member 3.

Detent means, which act to retain the latch member 3 in the latched position, comprise a detent lever 12 an arm 13 of which engages a toothed upper edge 14 of the latch member 3. The lever 12 is spring loaded by a spring 11 into engagement with the latch member 3 and retains the latter against the action of a latch spring 15 which, on release of the detent, provides a throwout action assisting door opening. The latch member 3 has a subsidiary tooth 16 which is engaged by the detent arm 13 to provide a first-safety latched position in the event that the door is incompletely closed.

A G-shaped guide member 17 is fitted between the cover plate 2 and backplate 1 and has generally horizontal upper and lower jaws 18 and 19 respectively disposed above and below the cut-out 20 in the cover plate 2. The guide member 17 overlaps the latch member 3 and the pivot axis thereof, and is cut away to accommodate and allow free movement of the latch member 3 the claws 9 and 10 of which project into the space between the jaws 18 and 19.

A spring-loaded wedge 22 slidable between the cover plate 2 and backplate 1 is housed in the lower jaw 19, and the upper jaw 18 has a smooth lower surface forming a wedging surface against which the anti-burst plate 4 is wedged by the wedge 22 in the latched position. This is clearly shown in FIGURES 2 and 3 and provides the necessary vertical restraint to prevent door rattle. The jaws 18 and 19 of the guide member 17 are outwardly flared at the ends to provide smooth engagement with anti-burst plate 4 on door closure and the necessary guiding action so that the anti-burst plate 4 is guided smoothly into position between the wedging surface and the wedge.

At the edge adjacent the cut-out 20 in the cover plate 2 the backplate 1 has a flange 23 (see FIGURE 4) on which are pivotally mounted a remote control lever 24 and an internal locking lever 25 for connection respectively to releasing and locking linkages 26 operable from inside the door. These two levers have arms 27 and 28 which project through apertures in the backplate into the space between the latter and the cover plate. The arm 27 of the remote control lever 24 engages an internal release arm 29 on the detent lever 12 to move the latter out of engagement with the latch member 3 and release the device. A locking plate 30 mounted on a common pivot 32 with the detent lever 12 is connected through a link 33 to the arm 28 of the locking lever 25 and is thus movable between locked and unlocked positions.

A contactor lever 34 pivotally mounted between the cover plate and backplate is suitably formed for engagement by an external release pushbutton (not shown) mounted outside the door. The pushbutton stem engages a projection 35 of the contactor lever which projects inwardly of the backplate 1. The contactor lever 34 has a contoured projection 36 which engages an arm 37 of the detent lever 12, which thus forms an external release arm, with 'a camming action. This moves the detent lever 12 to a released position and the action is such that a smooth and substantially constant releasing effort is required at the pushbutton.-

The locking plate 30 has a projecting flange 37 which in the locked position engages behind a projection on the contactor lever 34 to prevent movement of the latter to release the detent lever 12. The device is then locked against external release by the pushbutton. In the unlocked position the locking plate 30 does not impede movement of the contactor lever 34.

The locking arrangement employs a self-cancelling feature, particularly for use on front doors, so that if the door is closed with the locking plate 30 in the locked position that lever is automatically returned to the unlocked position. The purpose of this is to overcome the possibility of the driver inadvertently locking himself out of the vehicle, and to this end the locking plate 30 has a projecting lobe 38 which when in the locked position is disposed close to a projection 39 on the latch member 3. Movement of the latch member to the latched position on subsequent door closure causes the latch member projection 39 to engage the lobe 38 and return the locking plate 30 to the unlocked position.

One end of the spring 15 engages a projection 40 on the contactor lever 34, so that this spring fulfills the dual roles of a latch return and contactor lever return spring. A link 42 is provided which at one end is connected to the locking plate 30 and at the other end is formed for connection to an external key-operated lock structure. This enables the key to be used to lock the device from outside the door.

I claim:

1. In a vehicle door fastening device the combination of a latch structure and a striker structure, wherein the latch structure comprises a cover plate, a pivotally mounted latch member disposed behind and partially shrouded by the cover plate, and guide means also mounted behind the cover plate, and the striker structure comprises two spaced pins, one of which forms, a striker element, and an antiburst plate mounted and supported on said pins, the cover plate being cut away to allow entry of the striker element and anti-burst plate the latter of which, during door closure, enters behind the latch member and the cover plate for anti-burst purposes, with the anti-burst plate engaging the guide means to guide the striker element into latching engagement with the latch member, in the latched position the anti-burst plate engaging the guide means to provide vertical restraint.

2. A fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the latch member has two claws between which the striker element, in the form of a striker pin, enters during the latching operation.

3. A fastening device according to claim 1, wherein detent means and other internal elements of the device are disposed between the cover plate and a backplate formed for attachment to the doorstructure.

4. A fastening device according to claim 1, wherein the anti-burst plate is of generally rectangular shape and has with the guide means.

5. In a vehicle door fastening device the combinationof a latch structure and a striker structure, wherein the 1 latch structure comprises a cover plate, a pivotally mounted latch member disposed behind and partially shrouded by the cover plate, and guide means also mounted behind the cover plate, and the striker structure comprises two spaced pins, one of which forms a striker element, an anti-burst plate mounted and supported on said pins, and two fixing screws which pass through the anti-burst plate and the pins to mount the striker structure on the door frame and to secure the anti-burst plate to the striker pins, the cover plate being cut away to allow entry of the striker element and anti-burst plate the latter of which, during door closure, enters behind the latch member and the cover plate for anti-burst purposes, with the anti-burst plate engaging the guide means to guide the striker element into latching engagement with the latch member, in the latched position the anti-burst plate engaging the guide means to provide vertical restraint.

6. In a vehicle door fastening device the combination of a latch structure and a striker structure, wherein the latch structure comprises a cover plate, a pivotally behind the latch member and the cover plate for antiburst purposes, with the anti-burst plate engaging the guide means to guide the striker element into latching engagement with the latch member, in the latched position the plate engaging the guide means toprovide vertical restraint.

7. A fastening device according to claim 6, wherein the guide means include a spn'ngdoaded wedge, which is engaged by the anti-burst plate, and a wedging surface against which the plate is wedged when the device is latched to provide vertical restraint.

8. A fastening device according to claim 7, wherein a guide member of the guide means has upper and lower generally horizontal jaws between which the anti-burst plate is received, with said wedge mounted on one of the jaws and the other providing said wedging surface.

9. A fastening device according to claim 8, wherein the wedge is mounted on the lower jaw of the guide member and the upper jaw provides the wedging surface.

10. A vehicle door fastening device having a striker structure comprising a backplate, two spaced parallel pins which project from the backplate, and a generally rectangular anti-burst plate mounted on the ends of the striker pins remote from the backplate, and an associated latch structure comprising a backplate, an external cover plate, a latch member pivotally supported between the latch backplate and cover plate and partially shrouded by the cover plate, and guide means which are also mounted between the cover plate and the latch backplate and are engaged during door closure by the anti-burst plate to guide one of said striker pins into latching engagement with the latch member which enters between said pins, the cover plate being cut away to provide clearance for entry of said one striker pin and the anti-burst plate into 7 the latch structure and in the latching position the antiburst plate being partially overlapped by both the latch member and the cover plate for anti-burst purposes, and

engaged by a spring-loaded wedge which provides vertical 7 restraint when the door is closed.

11. A fastening device according to claim 10, wherein the anti-burst plate has a leadingend radiused for smooth engagement with said guide means, and the guide means include a guide member with upper and lower generally horizontal jaws between which the anti-burst plate is received and on one of which jaws said wedge is mounted.

12. A fastening device according to claim 11, wherein said wedge is mounted in the jaw of the guide member remote from said latch member behind which the other jaw is disposed.

13. A fastening device according to claim 10, wherein the striker structure is held together and fitted by means of two fixing screws which pass through the anti-burst plate, the two pins respectively, and the striker backplate.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,310,549 2/1943 Roethel 292-34112 Endter 292341.12 X

Johnson 292-216 France et al. 292-340 Nallinger et a1. 292-216 Cockburn et al.

Kirk.

Gergoe et a1 292-216 Fox et a1. 292-216 Roethel 292-341.12 X

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

RICHARD E. MOORE, Examiner. 

1. IN A VEHICLE DOOR FASTENING DEVICE THE COMBINATION OF A LATCH STRUCTURE AND A STRIKER STRUCTURE, WHEREIN THE LATCH STRUCTURE COMPRISES A COVER PLATE, A PIVOTALLY MOUNTED LATCH MEMBER DISPOSED BEHIND AND PARTIALLY SHROUDED BY THE COVER PLATE, AND GUIDE MEANS ALSO MOUNTED BEHIND THE COVER PLATE, AND THE STRIKER STRUCTURE COMPRISES TWO SPACED PINS, ONE OF WHICH FORMS A STRIKER ELEMENT, AND AN ANTIBURST PLATE MOUNTED AND SUPPORTED ON SAID PINS, THE COVER PLATE BEING CUT AWAY TO ALLOW ENTRY OF THE STRIKER ELEMENT AND ANTI-BURST PLATE THE LATTER OF WHICH, DURING DOOR CLOSURE, ENTERS BEHIND THE LATCH MEMBER AND THE COVER PLATE FOR ANTI-BURST PURPOSES, WITH THE ANTI-BURST PLATE ENGAGING THE GUIDE MEANS TO GUIDE THE STRIKER ELEMENT INTO 